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abase (v.)
- lower; degrade; humiliate
- Anna expected to have to curtsy to the king of siam, but when told to cast herself down on the ground before him, she refused to abase herself.
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abash (v.)
- embarrass
- He was not at all abashed by her open admiration.
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abate (v.)
- subsidise or moderate
- Rather than leaving immediately, they waited for the storm to abate.
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abdicate (v.)
- renounce; give up
- When the king abdicated the throne, he surprised the country.
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aberrant (adj.)
- abnormal or deviant
- Given the aberrant nature of the data, we came to doubt the validity of the entire experiment.
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aberration (n.)
abnormality; departure from the norm; mental irregularity or disorder
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abet (v.)
assist or encourage, usually in doing something wrong
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abeyance (n.)
- suspended action
- The deal was held in abeyance until her arrival.
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abject (adj.)
- wretched; lacking pride
- On the street of New York the homeless live in abject poverty, huddling in doorways to find shelter from the wind.
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abjure (v.)
renounce upon oath; disvow a formerly held belief, usually under pressure
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ablution (n.)
- washing
- The ritual washing of a priest's hands or of sacred vessels
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abnegation (n.)
- renunciation; self-sacrifice
- Renunciation of your own interests in favour of the interests of others
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abolish (v.)
cancel; put to an end
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abominable (adj.)
detestable; extremely displeasing; very bad
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abominate (v.)
loathe; hate
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aboriginal (adj.)
being the first of its kind in a region; primitive; native
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abortive (adj.)
unsuccessful; fruitless
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abrasive (adj.)
rubbing away; tending to grind down
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abridge (v.)
condense; shorten
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abrogate (v.)
- abolish; revoke formally; get rid of
- The king intended to abrogate the decree issued by his predecessor.
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abscission (n.)
- 1. removal by cutting off, as in surgery;
- 2. separation
- When a flower or leaf separates naturally from the parent plant, this process is called abscission or leaf fall.
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abscond (v.)
depart secretly and hide
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absolute (adj.)
complete; totally unlimited; certain
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absolve (v.)
- pardon (an offense)
- absolved him of his sins
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abstain (v.)
refrain; withhold from participation
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abstemious (adj.)
- sparing in eating and drinking; temperate (=not extreme)
- Concerned whether her vegetarian son's abstemious diet provided him with sufficient protein, the worried mother pressed food on him.
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abstinence (n.)
restraint from eating or drinking
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abstract (adj.)
- theoretical; not concrete; non-representational
- 1. Existing only in the mind; separated from embodiment
- abstract words like 'truth' and 'justice'2. Not representing or imitating external reality or the objects of nature
- a large abstract painting3. Dealing with a subject in the abstract without practical purpose or intention
- abstract reasoning
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abstruse (adj.)
- obscure (=unclear); profound; difficult to understand
- The professor's lectures were so abstruse that students tended to avoid them.
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abusive (adj.)
coarsely insulting; physically harmful
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abut (v.)
border upon; adjoin (=adjacent to one another)
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abysmal (adj.)
- bottomless
- His arrogance is exceeded only by his abysmal ignorance.
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abyss (n.)
enormous chasm (=A deep opening in the earth's surface); vast; bottomless pit
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academic (adj.)
- related to a school; not practical or directly useful
- Hypothetical or theoretical and not expected to produce an immediate or practical result
- an academic discussion
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accede (v.)
agree; yield to another's wish or opinion
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accelerate (v.)
move faster
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accessible
easy to approach; obtainable
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accessory (n.)
additional object; useful but not an essential thing
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acclaim (v.)
applaud; announce with great approval
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acclimate (v.)
adjust to climate or environment; adapt
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acclivity (n.)
sharp upslope of a hill
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accolade (n.)
- award of merit
- In Hollywood, an "Oscar" is the highest accolade.
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accommodate (v.)
oblige or help someone; adapt; adjust or bring into harmony
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accomplice (n.)
partner in crime
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accost (v.)
approach and speak first to a person
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accoutre (=accouter) (v.)
equip
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accretion (n.)
growth; increase
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accrue (v.)
- come about by addition
- accrued interest
- You must pay the interest accrued on your debt as well as the principal sum.
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acerbic (adj.)
bitter or sour in nature; sharp and cutting (in tone)
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acerbity (n.)
bitterness of speech and temper
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acetic (adj.)
- vinegary
- The salad has an exceedingly acetic flavour.
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acidulous (adj.)
- slightly sour; sharp; caustic (=Harsh or corrosive in tone)
- sarcastic and acidulous remarks
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acknowledge (v.)
recognize; admit
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acme (n.)
peak; pinnacle; highest point
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acoustics (n.)
science of sound; quality that makes a room easy or hard to hear in
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acquiesce (akwee'es) (v.)
assent (=agreement); agree passively
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acquittal (n.)
deliverance from a charge
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acrid (adj.)
sharp; bitterly pungent
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acrimonious (adj.)
bitter in words or manner
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acrophobia (n.)
fear of heights
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actuarial (adj.)
calculating; pertaining to insurance statistics
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actuate (v.)
- motivate
- I fail to understand what actuate you to reply to this letter so nastily.
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acumen (n.)
mental keenness; shrewdness shown by keen insight
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acute (adj.)
quickly perceptive; keen; brief and severe
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adage (n.)
wise saying; proverb
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adamant (adj.)
hard; inflexible
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addendum (n.)
addition; appendix of a book
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addiction (n.)
compulsive; habitual need
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addle (v.)
- muddle (=confuse); drive crazy; become rotten
- The idiotic plan is confusing enough to addle anyone.
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address (v.)
direct a speech to; deal with or discuss
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adept (adj.)
- expert at
- She was adept at the fine art of irritating people.
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adhere (v.)
- stick fast
- I will adhere to this opinion until proof that I am wrong is presented.
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adherent (n.)
supporter; follower
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adjacent (adj.)
adjoining; neighbouring; close by
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adjunct (n.)
something added or attached to another thing but not an essential part of it
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adjuration (n.)
- solemn urging
- Her adjuration to tell the truth did not change the witness' testimony.
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adjutant (n.)
- staff officer assisting the commander; assistant
- chief adjutant
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admonish (v.)
- warn; reprove (=take to task)
- When her friends questioned her religious beliefs, she admonished then, declaring that she would worship as she pleased.
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adorn (v.)
- decorate
- Wall paintings adorned her house.
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adroit (adj.)
- skillful
- Her adroit handling of the delicate situation pleased her employers.
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